Some were surprised Monday when Chris Brown pled not guilty to the two felony counts he faced for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, Rihanna.

“We really thought that a deal was on the horizon,” a source close to Rihanna said. “It would have made all of this end more quickly, and allowed everyone to get on with their lives.”

Yet others say that if there is any chance Brown can walk away without a guilty verdict, he should take it.

“It’s not a cut-and-dried case,” said one person with professional ties to Brown. “He has to look out for himself, too. He’ll be much better off long-term if he can be found not guilty when this is all over. It’s a risk that’s worth taking right now.”

Scientists scorn Gwyneth’s shampoo fearGwyneth Paltrow might be good at dishing out advice on exercise and good foods on her Web site Goop, but experts wish she would quit with the medical advice.

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Kevin Winter / Getty Images North America

Celebrity Sightings

Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. on the "Let's Be Cops," red carpet, Selena Gomez is immortalized in wax and more.

Celebrity Sightings

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Idris Elba

Actor Idris Elba seen on the set of :A Hundred Streets" on Aug. 8 in London.

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Elisabeth Moss, Mark Duplass

Actors Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass arrive at the premiere of RADIUS-TWC's "The One I Love" at the Vista Theatre on Aug. 7 in Los Angeles.

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Nick Kroll

Actor Nick Kroll arrives at the premiere of RADIUS-TWC's "The One I Love" at the Vista Theatre on Aug. 7 in Los Angeles.

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Damon Wayans Jr., Jake Johnson

Actors Damon Wayans Jr. and Jake Johnson arrive at the premiere of "Let's Be Cops" at the Cinerama Dome on Aug. 7 in Los Angeles.

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Celebrity Sightings

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James D'Arcy

James D'Arcy arrives at the premiere of "Let's Be Cops" at the Cinerama Dome on Aug. 7 in Los Angeles.

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Julianne Hough

Actress Julianne Hough arrives at the premiere of "Let's Be Cops" at the Cinerama Dome on Aug. 7 in Los Angeles.

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Hannah Simone

Actress Hannah Simone arrives at the premiere of "Let's Be Cops" at the Cinerama Dome on Aug. 7 in Los Angeles.

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Nina Dobrev

Actress Nina Dobrev arrives at the premiere of "Let's Be Cops" at the Cinerama Dome on Aug. 7 in Los Angeles.

Celebrity Sightings

Actor Robert Pattinson speaks during the Meet The Filmmakers event for "The Rover" at Apple Store, Regent Street on Aug. 7 in London.

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Nicole Kidman, Jason Bateman

Actors Nicole Kidman and Jason Bateman are spotted filming Bateman's "The Family Fang" in Westchester, New York, on Aug. 7.

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Akon

Grammy-nominated artist Akon, who is the founder of Akon Lighting Africa Project, discusses at the US-Africa Leaders Summit "Africa: New Parnership Models for Growth" news conference, held in Washington, DC, on Aug. 7, the progress that African heads of state have made.

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Paltrow reportedly posted a missive on the dangers of shampoo, saying, “Fetuses, infants and toddlers are basically unable to metabolize toxins the way adults are, and we are constantly filling our environment with chemicals that may or may not be safe.”

Bacteriologist professor Hugh Pennington told the British press that unless you drink shampoo in large quantities, it is safe, and by and large, Paltrow’s claims were loopy.

“It does annoy me when celebrities use their position to spout nonsense,” Pennington said. “They have a perfect right to their views, even if they are loopy, but they do hold a position of influence.”

Star and Al’s near miss in Miami Star Jones and her ex-husband, Al Reynolds, had their first near encounter at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami last week, but reports that the two were practically sitting side by side were greatly exaggerated.

“They weren’t anywhere near each other,” said a source from the tournament. “The awkward part came when Al had to move. Apparently the seats he was sitting in when he was spotted weren’t his own.”

Filming for Reynolds’ reality show, “Life After,” is what brought him to the tennis tourney in the first place. “That’s why he had press passes, and not real tickets,” explained the source.

Jones’ rep had no comment.

Celebrity sightingsIn New York City: On March 27, Jimmy Fallon kicked off his national promotional tour, “A Round on Jimmy,” at Whiskey River bar. On March 31 Taylor Momsen, Zach Braff and band The White Tie Affair celebrated Nylon mag’s 10th anniversary at the Thompson LES hotel. ... Carmen Electra was spotted with a Sugar Factory lollipop alongside Rob Patterson after a day of shopping April 3.

In Houston: Mickey Rourke sported a sweatshirt monogrammed with the name of his beloved deceased dog, Loki, at Wrestlemania 25 at Reliant Stadium April 5.

In Washington, D.C.: First lady Michelle Obama was spotted lunching with Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton at B. Smith’s restaurant in Union Station on St. Patrick’s Day.